Last warning

My pet peeve is starting to get the better of me. I see that more than half of the names used do not follow the naming conventions agreed to when a user is registering. I've asked before, but now I'm thinking I need to get tough. If the people cannot do this on their own, I'm gonna play the heavy hand. I will require registration before posting and any account that does not look right to me will have the password changed so that account will no longer be able to be used. Accounts should have a first name, a space and a last name. And not a fictitious name. If your account currently does not follow this guideline, please create a new account that does. Because one day soon you might find out that your current account no longer works. I don't think this is too much to ask for. In fact, I think this is the only courtesy I ask for in return for use of JavaRanch. I would rather talk about java with real people than hacker aliases.

[This message has been edited by Paul Wheaton (edited September 17, 2000).]

Hi Wheaton, Thanx for that strict rule of yours ! Hopefully I will get to hear meaningful people's names on the list and discussions ! Even I had thought of bringing it to ur notice - but then now you are aware of it ! Thanx again ! Thanx to Javaranch and its moderators ! Praveen Zala

First off privacy is an issue. 1: One company called doubleclick uses cookies and has contracts with isps and collects information on users and then sells this information to marketing corporations. All of this without the knowledge or consent of users. 2: There are programs called email harvesters that scan websites like search bots that look for bot tags in html, well these harvesters can collected email address, user names of webboards. Without the permission or consent of the owner of the site! 3. Isp's do collect information on their users and store that info in databases as do websites like amazon.com 4. Go to the mall, a bank, any store in the mall, and their are cameras watching people. In NY city there are cameras on sides of buildings that take pictures of all people who walkby. 5. Marketing companies and your bank and credit card companies that you use, can legally sell your bank account numbers, credit card numbers and even your social security numbers. No bull shit! It was on cnn that a company was buying credit card numbers and missusing them.

1) What does that have to do with what's going on here? 2) JavaRanch users can protect their e-mail addresses from public view. 3) What does that have to do with what's going on here? 4) What does that have to do with what's going on here? 5) What does that have to do with what's going on here? Summary: I am aware of the abuse of privacy. I don't see how this has anything to do with what we are talking about here. I feel that you aren't considering my position. Are my feelings about this not valid?

Hi Paul, I have created a new account with my real first and last name. I wish that you could add my earlier posts to my new account,so that I can quickly get promoted to a ranch hand. I will tell you my old account name if you reply to this. :-)

I want to add one more thing to my whining about humanity vs. the machine. I have always used my name in all of my posting since I started using BBS's and CompuServe in 1985. Since that time, I have had over 20 people remember me from some previous, unrelated contribution somewhere. In 1995 I got a job offer to lead a team of Programmers developing a library for a new language - all because somebody remembered some OO C++ stuff I put on CompuServe and my contributions to forums there. The new language was Java (If I had only known, eh?) If we all used aliases and there were 20 of us at a conference and we had a chance to meet, odds are that we would never know that the person we're shaking hands with is an old buddy. Or is shaking hands out too, cuz of germs. I prefer to have culture and human experiences despite the risks of privacy and germs. To live in paranoid fear of such petty risks (like someone on JavaRanch might know your real name) is just sacrificing too much of life for me. My e-mail address is plastered all over this site and I get about ten junk mails a day. Not bad considering that I own six domains and get about 70 pieces of real e-mail a day. I suspect that if we all hid from life, there would be no internet. Fortunately, a few of us are willing to sacrifice some money, some privacy and some time to put some content up.

Hey Paul !! Kudos to you ! Honesty and HardWork pays....no matter what !! I agree with this sentiment of yours ! As far as the issue about privacy goes, One can't lead a LIFE in fear and go on wearing false masks that would not reaveal the REAL YOU ! If Javaranch is given the choice of registering its users with their aliases n fancynames, I detest such activity, cos then the essence of a serious discussion forum is lost.

Registering in one's own name at this site is an act of honesty that would immediately endear one to all the users and strike a cord of bon-homie, unlike the ones, who, like masked bandits can hold the site to ransom according to their whims and fancies.

Why hide your true self ? Is it that you want to hide something, which you are afraid of ??? Privacy is something that you offer to yourself .... somebody doesn't give it !!! Dont expect this site to bestow it upon you .... build your own temple of PEACE which no one can shatter !! And give up those cyber-fears for REAL ! Praveen Zala

Paul, I feel exactly the same way as you do. I came from a country where there is very little privacy to speak of we don't even have an exact translation of the word!) to live in a country where some of us are getting overly concerned about losing the tremendous amount of privacy we already enjoy. I don't believe in hiding too much of myself in the name of protecting myself. On the contrary, aliases showing up all over the place might make me paranoid instead. It gives me the creeps to think that someone has something to hide from the world and chooses to watch us (the ones with real names) from the safety of drawn curtains and darkened room. I'm totally for living our lives in full without fear. What a waste of energy to be constantly afraid of things, whose danger may turn out to only live in one's mind! OK, so even if we do lose some privacy and get bombarded by junk mail and e-mail, so what!!! If someone reeeeeally wants to get something on us, an alias will not save us from it. Me? I have nothing to hide and very little to fear (except the prospect of ever becoming a proficient Java Programmer).

Here Here. The one thing I like about this site is the professional exchange of information and assistance. I think the use of proper names aids in this. If a person fears making a minor mistake or looking foolish for asking a silly question, needs to be in my shoes when I have to approach the manager with why a routine made it into production that was completely incorrect. In the military we were drilled on the fact that the only silly question was the one unask. So Paul stick to your guns